Pumpkin Hummus: A Savory Way to Serve Seasonal Squash

This time, I decided to make something savory, and was struck with the idea of a seasonally-inspired hummus.

This dish is not only a great way to satisfy your hunger, but it’s also an amazing appetizer to serve when friends are over on game day, or are visiting for a long, lazy afternoon spent cozying up inside.

It’s the perfect way to start any meal, and it’s easy to make – as long as you have a food processor or high-speed blender.

This is a twist on the typical hummus recipe, with a subtly earthy flavor from the freshly roasted squash combined with warming cumin spice and garnished with crunchy toasted seeds.

Needless to say, the beautiful yellow-orange hue is also something to admire and savor – it really is a breathtaking beauty that’s the perfect color for the season.

What are you waiting for? Fall won’t last forever… go make a big bowl of this creamy hummus right now!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Roast and Mash the Squash

For a uniquely made-from-scratch recipe, roast and puree the squash yourself instead of using a store-bought product. Review our full tutorial for making homemade pumpkin puree for additional tips and tricks.

Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

To yield 1 1/2 cups puree, you will only need about half of a small sugar pumpkin. You can choose to roast both halves at the same time, and reserve the flesh from the other half for another recipe. You’ll like snacking on these nut muffins, or sipping on this creamy smoothie!

Where I live in Argentina, we don’t have the exact type of pumpkin that is widely available in the United States. We also don’t typically have canned puree to buy in grocery stores, as you’ll find readily available in the US.

We have zapallos though, and since both zapallos and pumpkins are simply different types of squash from the same Cucurbitaceae botanical family, zapallos make a perfect substitute.

I especially like using the zapallo ingles, a squash with a thick, dark green skin and orange flesh that produces a subtly sweet puree when roasted.

Remove any seeds or stringy parts from the squash. Be sure to save the seeds if you like toasting them – even using them as a garnish for this particular recipe! – or choose to compost everything to limit your food waste.

Place the squash on the prepared baking sheet, and transfer it to the oven. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes, or until the flesh is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and allow the squash to cool slightly before scooping out the flesh and placing it in a bowl. Mash the flesh with a fork and set aside.

Dispose of the skin, or compost it.

Step 2 – Prepare the Other Ingredients

After the squash has been roasted and mashed, now is the time to get the remaining ingredients ready.

Measure out the tahini paste, olive oil, water, cumin, and salt. You might need more than the measured amount of water, in case the puree is too thick – so have more water in a separate bowl ready to go.

Drain and rinse two cans of chickpeas with the help of a colander.

Finely mince the garlic, or use a garlic press instead. Freshly squeeze the lemon.

For the final garnishes, set out toasted pumpkin seeds, and freshly crack the black pepper.

Step 3 – Puree the Chickpea Base

Combine the chickpeas, minced garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and 1/2 cup of water in a food processor or blender.

Process the ingredients for about 20 seconds, scraping down the sides of the processor or blender with a rubber spatula as needed to reincorporate any ingredients stuck on the sides.

Does the mixture look and feel too chunky? Add an extra tablespoon of water at a time and continue processing until the chickpea mixture is thick but smooth.

Step 4 – Add and puree the Pumpkin, Cumin, and Salt

Add the pumpkin, cumin, and salt to the processor.

If you are using a canned puree product, be sure to buy the kind that is plain and unsweetened, without any other ingredients added. You certainly don’t want a spiced and sweetened pie filling here for this savory recipe!

Process for 20 seconds, scraping down the sides of the processor or blender as needed.

How is the texture now? If it is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of water at a time and continue processing to yield a very smooth and creamy puree.

Scrape down the sides one last time, and pulse briefly to recombine everything together.

Step 5 – Garnish

Almost done!

Transfer the hummus to your serving platter. Garnish the dish by scattering toasted pumpkin seeds on top, as well as a pinch or two of freshly cracked black pepper.

Serve and Impress

This hummus is so good that you can even eat it by the spoonful – I know I did!

But you may want a more elaborate serving idea than just a single spoon…

If you are hoping to impress your guests with a full presentation, serve the dip on a beautiful platter with crudite, as well as crackers, sliced crusty bread, fried tortilla chips, or wedges of sour barley pita bread.